Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17
9ai11& eagle
COLORADO SNOW BANKS.
TRACES OF GLACIAL ACTION FOUND
ALONG THE WATERWAYS.

Snow Slides and Their Destructivoness.
Length of limo the Snow on the
Mountains Is Supposed to Last-Trost
Mover Out of the Ground.
How often is the snow renewed on the tops
of the mountains in Colorados" asked re-
porter of pioneer Coloradoan, Mr. William
n. Byers, who has observed the face of nature
IN the Rockies for many years
We'll, said he, "that is a gigantic question
which Hayden asked himself years ago, bat
utterly failed to answer. Some persons think
the snow is renewed on tho mountains here
every two years, but doubt it greatly, and
after all it is q matter of the merest con-
lecture. We can only use our powers Of OBJ
servation and draw our differences from the
most practical reasons at hand. You have
heard, of course, that the main difference ex-
isting between our mountains and those Of
tho Old world lies in tho fact that there
glaciers abound, whereas we arc free from
those terrible anathemas of ice and snow
"But there are plentiful traces OF glacial
action at tho head of the Arkansas river. and
about Lake creek, in the neighborhood Of
Twin lakes, and on both sides of the Arkansas
valley. These traces ara remarkable
feature Of the rocks. They are called
DoraineS Tho rocks are scored in places
along the foot OF the mountains, and the
pushing out OF moraines into the Arkansas is
observed.
"Another remarkable instance is seen in the
region OF Grand lake, in Middle park, in the
scoring Of the rocks in the terminal and
lateral moraincS. Nearly all these lakes are
the result Of glacial action. In every ravine
In the glacial period there wero rivers of ice
As the ravines unite the ice rivers accumulate
IN the passage down the ravines, and are null
uplled Ia junction with other ravines until
they become plows of ice. These plows push
both 20 the right and to the LETT, but the
greater portion is pushed on in front, and is
called terminal moraine, Tho masses pushed
out ut the sides arc known as lateral
morainas.
NATURES OWN SNOW PLow.
This is Ike @ plow with double share
turning furrow both right and left The
effect on the unbroken rock is to soour and
polish IL, and 10 score it into grooves, sweep
ing everything movable before it, depoaiting
MI this moving matter at its sides and
directly ia front. When the glacial period
ended and the temperature of this part OF the
earth changed it left these rivers Of ice pro
Ject1ng down into the plains at the mouth Of
tho gorge, penetrating tho surface Of the
earth 10 more or less depth, and running
through until they gradually melted away
Thus were formed most of our mountain
lakes, such AZ Twin, Grand and Black. |
once counted from tho summit of Longs
peak thirty FIVE lakes, Some OF which are
covered with ics all tl.s yeas through
Tbs snow probably remains for genera
tons or centuries in mssy Of tine snow fields
which yet sIist In the Rocky u.ourtains. |
think II is possible that the snow nelts under
meath and Is replaced. 1t is safe 10 say there
are nc living glaciers now in this portion OF
The Rocky mountains There is, however, q
SLOW, hardly pSrosptible motion OF the snow
fields down hill
"FroSs has been found IN many of the
mines IL the high mountains above timber
line at great depth. In the North Star mine,
nesr EoNsler pass, frost was found at depth
of lIS feet Tho great extent Of plateau
country causss ths high temperature OF the
mountain ranges, and is the cause CT the
snow melting OH III direct contrast 10 the
mountains of Switzerland or those of the sea
coast The mountains Of the sea coast have
low snow line, and it is this which causes
glaciera Along the Alaskan coast tho
glaciers arc pushing ont into the soa.
AS FOR the mountains bore, they are much
Like thoss on tina Himalaya range in Asia,
having the same high snow Line. This is
another argument Ii favor Of Colorado. The
high snow Line inSures dry, bracing, tonic
cllnate.
The snow xelds worthy o. nisrt;on which
last ali shs year around arc situated between
Longs p-ak and Middle park Those re-
main during the summer / have often OBJ
val sf,a ola 81. =.
Middle park 1t moves them every winter
This motion is not great. In fact, it is SO
slow ms 10 lie almost impsrceptible. Snow
slides arc very common in Colorado, and
most common in the San Juan. near the
main range They occur every rsar, and
frequently when snow falls 10 any extent
loss OF HUMAN LIrA
MANY lives xrs lost in snow slidss because
people who become indifferent TO danpor
through long association with It will insist
on building houses in tbs wrong location
When snow ssgins in the mountains it often
falls twenty, thirty or forty feet, and 80
covers up tho Old SNOW. The ground is frozen.
The frost never comes out of the ground
When We dig thSv We always find the earth
frossn 1t may 10 that the snow gradually
nslts away, bat l said before, nobody
knows any shing about it positively. 1t is
ineTs matter Of con jsctura There are places
N tbs mountains where j doa't think the
snow ever meta don't believe there is any
spot where tMbsr grows thai snow doesn't
melt. IL TIE snow had not melted the tim
Der never could have grown. Above timber
growth perpetual sha0e cannot exist except
under q letss 81 rock. The sun gets around
evelywhey'e la the summer time"
at is estimated" said State Engineer Net
Teton ~ the reporter later, "rAstsIty inches
of water fall annually on the eastern SLOPE Of
The Rocky mountains in the form u snow
and rain; - per cent o< This falls during the
winter and spring months. That which falls
late in xls autumn ami eariy in the winter is
most avsilabls for irrigation, rs it becomes
solid, almost Ike ice, and nleltS slowly under
the summers sun, atfordlnG a steady Cow
through Sae irrlgating season. Shows fall
ing il leto spring melt rapidly, and the wa
teTs rur down the rivers unused. Although
about fifty mountain peaks III Colorado reach
an elevation OF over Ii, zoe feet, yet the ow
nearly all disappears every s>slson. small
quantities remaining only III patches here and
tnere. On this account there are st present
no glaciers in the Rocky mountains The |
cold mountains condensc the moisture in The |
country adJacsnt, thereby robblng the plains
of their quota Of moisture
Hence the necessity for irrigation. 1t is |
quite o.Sy TO forotell the probable amount Of |
water for irrigation purposes for tie coming |
season by watching the amount Of snowfall |
III tic mountains.
Farmers living from twenty 10 thirty |
miles from the mountains, or where they can |
watch the snowfall on the main range of tbs |
mountains have learned how u gauge their |
crops by the time tke snow fails and the guam |
thy. Ii the snow fails early tlsy expect |
water for latc crops. Ii tho Snow tall prin- |
cIQally III the spring months they fear short |
Mat.r IN summer and fall and n.sMt or sow |